Holiday Travel Forecast

Holiday Travel Season Takes off at SFO

Tips for Passengers; Parking Information; Live Music

San Francisco -- The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) announced the start of the holiday travel season with tips for passengers, information on parking, and a schedule of live music in the terminals. The holiday travel season will begin in earnest on Friday, November 22nd with more than 130,000 passengers arriving and departing SFO, making it the single busiest day of the period. In total, more than 1.2 million travelers will pass through SFO between Friday, November 22nd and Sunday, December 1st.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to make travel at SFO as enjoyable as possible,” said Kandace Bender, Deputy Airport Director, Communications & Marketing. “We welcome the opportunity to help our guests to reunite with family and friends this holiday season.”

Travelers at SFO can once again enjoy live music during the holiday season. The popular You Are Hear series of live music will resume, with a wide variety of Bay Area musicians performing in terminal locations around the Airport. A full schedule is available at www.flysfo.com.

Getting to SFO Quickly and Conveniently

Transit & Shared Rides

With holiday passenger volumes, SFO recommends that travelers take transit or share rides to the Airport. BART provides direct service from San Francisco and the East Bay, and there are several shuttle services to SFO. To learn more about transportation options and to plan your trip on to SFO, visit www.flysfo.com/to-from/overview. If travelers elect to drive, they should allow extra time for parking, or have someone drop them off. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airline to confirm their flight.

Parking availability will be tight this Thanksgiving

In anticipation of peak holiday parking demand, SFO strongly advises travelers to take an alternate mode of transportation to and from the Airport. All parking facilities are expected to be at or near capacity by Thanksgiving and the day after, so please plan accordingly. The daily maximum parking rate at Long Term Parking is $18 per day; the International Garages is $28 per day; and the Domestic Garage is $36 per day. Use FasTrak® available lanes to enter and quickly exit SFO’s parking garages.

Kiss-and-Fly; Cell Phone Lot; Short-Term Parking for $2

During periods of peak traffic, SFO encourages people to drop off friends and family at the Kiss-and-Fly curb at the rental car facility, where they can catch the AirTrain and be at the Airport in minutes. SFO also offers a free cell-phone parking lot, located adjacent to the Long Term Parking surface lot just five minutes north of the terminals. The Airport also offers short-term parking at $2 per 20 minutes in the hourly terminal garages for people who want to park and help their arriving parties at baggage claim.

You Are Hear! – Live Music is Back at SFO This Holiday

The popular live music series at SFO, You Are Hear!, will return for the holiday with performances at several locations around the Airport. For more information on featured artists, locations and a full schedule, visit our website at www.flysfo.com/sfocheer/you-are-hear.

The “Wag Brigade”Stress-Relief Dogs

In December, SFO will launch a new program, titled “Wag Brigade,” to bring trained dogs to the terminals to make passenger travel more enjoyable. The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will bring nine dogs, certified through their Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Program, to roam the terminals to take the stress out of holiday travel. Carefully selected for their temperament and airport suitability, the dogs will wear vests that read “Pet Me!” identifying dogs of all sizes and breeds by name.

TSA Security Regulations

Passengers traveling during the holidays are strongly encouraged to arrive at the Airport at least 90 minutes prior to departure for domestic flights and two hours prior to international flights.

Passengers who pack liquids or gels as carry-on baggage are limited to amount of three (3) ounces or less. Such items should be packed in a single re-sealable quart-size plastic bag, with one per traveler. For more detailed information and the latest security rules, please visit: www.tsa.gov.

SFO on Social Media

For up-to-date information on happenings at SFO, including details on upcoming social media contests for the holiday, passengers can stay informed using the following channels:

About San Francisco International AirportSan Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 31 international cities on 30 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with 76 cities in the U.S. on 15 domestic airlines. SFO is proud to offer upgraded free Wi-Fi with no advertising. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow us on www.twitter.com/flysfo and www.facebook.com/flysfo.